January 1999

A Team `Dedicated to Bringing Babies into the World'

As the TMC News goes to press, the seven surviving octuplets were each gaining weight and breathing on their own, remarkably good progress for infants not yet weighing much more than 2 pounds three weeks after they were delivered. The babies remain in critical but stable condition in the neonatal unit at Texas Children's Hospital. The smallest of the octuplets (weighing just over 10 ounces at birth) died six days following birth after its tiny heart and lungs gave out and mechanical respiration was not successful.

Probably no one in the delivery room at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital on Dec. 20 imagined the extent of news coverage which would follow the octuplets' birth. Certainly not their mother and father, Nkem Chukwu and Iyke Louis Udobi.

"We have a lot of multiple births here," says Dr. Leonard Weisman, chief of the newborn service at St. Luke's and chief of neonatology at Texas Children's. "We have the `drill' down pretty well, and the equipment is all pre-positioned. Most importantly, it's just an excellent group of people dedicated to bringing babies into the world."

Nkem Chukwu received a combination of hormones which induced multiple ovulation. (The same treatment resulted in the birth of sextuplets Nov. 11 at St. Luke's.) Once it became known that she would deliver at least six fetuses, she was referred to Dr. Brian Kirshon, a high-risk pregnancy specialist at St. Luke's. Mrs. Chukwu did not receive the fertility treatments at St. Luke's.

The first delivered of the octuplets preceded her siblings by 12 days; for the remainder of her pregnancy, Chukwu was kept in an inverted reclining position to take pressure off her uterus. It was only after the natural birth of the first infant that the St. Luke's team became aware of a potential "record" birth.

"Nkem was on our unit about two months before she delivered," says Minnie Vogelpohl, R.N., staff nurse on the antepartum unit at St. Luke's. "So she saw all the patient education tapes and was very prepared for - and very dedicated to - these births." During the latter part of her pregnancy, Nkem required high protein foods, and more frequent meals. Her mother brought her traditional Nigerian meals also.

"The family support is critical with multiple births," says Leslie Kane, L.M.S.W., A.C.P., high risk OB social worker at St. Luke's. "Moms are separated from home and family sometimes for months, and that can be very stressful. Much of it is simply dealing with the unknown, what to expect following multiple births. Even before birth, we need to begin rallying the family members to help at home once mom returns," says Kane.

On Dec. 20, a large team of professionals worked with Nkem and her record births.

Mark Wallace, director and CEO of Texas Children's, echoes Jhin's thoughts. "It is a wonderful multi-disciplinary team that manages this kind of pregnancy, delivery and neonatal care. Just at Texas Children's, we've had a total 67 different physicians care for or consult on the Louis infants."

Texas Children's has one of the largest neonatal intensive care units anywhere; it has 40 "beds" - infant warmers, actually - but on many days the unit is over capacity. By law, the unit must be staffed by a nurse for every two infants, round the clock.

Nkem spoke to a large group of reporters on Dec. 30, shortly before she was discharged home. "I will be here at Texas Children's every day that I can be," she said. "These babies are a part of me. I am not complete without them."

"Under-developed lungs are the most common problem in these very small babies," says Dr. Weisman. "So it's very good to see that they are breathing on their own. That's a major step forward."

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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